Splice-bar and tie-plate.



M. M. GRAVES.

SPLICE BAR AND TIE PLATE.

APPLIOATION rum) 11.22, 1913.

1,066,408. Patented July 1, 1913.

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COLUMBIA MMWH B0. VLSHINITON. D. C.

MARTIN M. GRAVES, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SPLICE-BAR AND TIE-PLATE.

1 ,ocaios.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 1, .1913.

Application filed April 22, 1913. Serial No. 762,956.

To all who 11bit may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN M. (leaves, acitizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful.Improvenmnts in Splice- Bars and Tie-Plates; and I do hereby dcelare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The invention relates to devices for joining the ends of railroad railsand for supporting the joints, and has for its principal object theprovision of means by which the joint is supported at all times by meansof the ties.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means by which thesplice bars are held in a clamped position against the web of the railto securely lock them in position and hold them from (iliSPltLCOlllOIlteven though the bolts usually employed in securing the ends of the railstogether hecome loosened.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improvedconstruction oil tie plate that gives a slight resilience to the railjoint.

The invention will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which- Figure lis a cross section of arailroad rail splice ha: and tie plate constructed in accordance withthe invention. Fig. 2 a plan view of the tie plate, Fig. 3 an enlargeddetail view in cross section of the tie plate, Fig. it; a View of amodified form 01 splice bar, the rail, splice bar and tie plate beingshown in section, Fig. 5 a similar view of another 'lorl'n of splicebar, and Fig. 6 a top plan view of a railroad rail joint constructed inaccordance with the invention.

In the drawings similar reference charactors will be used to designatethe several parts tl'iroughout the several views.

The invention contemplates the provision of improved means for fasteningthe ends of railroad rails together. lleretofore in the construction ofrailroad joints the vibration of the rails caused by the passage oftrains over the track has caused a loosening of the nuts of the bolts atthe joints which has often led to the spreading of the rails at thejoints, and to serious accidents caused thereby. Furthermore thevibration incident to the passage of the train has caused a verticalmovement of the rail causing the spikes to be loosened from the ticsespecially at the joints.

In my invention the joint is carried by the splice bars and tie platesthat are secured to the ties and because oil its peculiar constructio-nconsisting in Forming the side edges oi. the splice bars tapered towardthe ends thereof. and providing the tie plates with upwardly extendingllanges to engage said tapered edges, said tie plates being adapted tobe driven on the splice bars from the ends and serving to securely clampthe splice bars to the rails, a rail is secured that is perfectly rigid,and the ends of the rails are held from relative movement. Furthermorethe tie plates as will hereinafter be described are formed ol" plates ofsteel bent back upon themselves and having their ends disengaged thustorming a resilient cushion for the joint and in a measure taking up thevibration caused by the passage ol the train.

Referring now to the drawings the railroad rails are indicated in all ofthe figures by the character A, while the ties are designated 13. Asshown in Fig. (3 a joint is provided consisting of a pair of splicebars, designated generally at l. secured to the meeting ends ol therails A by means of bolts and nuts 2.

The side edges ol the splice bars 1 are tapered from their middlcstoward their ends as shown at eland have the corners of the splice barsrounded as shown at The tie plates which shall be described in detailhereinafter are shown generally at 6 and provided with upwardlyextending flanges 7 that are adapted to engage the side edges 4 ot thesplice bars 1.

In making the rail joint with my improved splice bars and tie plates thesplice bars 1 a re first secured to the rails by means of. the end bolts9. The tie plates (3 are then placed on the ends of the splice bars anddriven toward the middle of the bars, and by engaging the tapered sideedges l of the splice bars. said splice bars will be clamped against theweb of the rail, thus securely holding the rails between the splicebars. The tie plates are then secured to the tics by means of the spikesS of ordinary construction, that are driven through openings 9 in thetie plates, the heads of said spikes 8 engaging the edges of the base ofthe rails through recesses 10 formed in the splice bars 1. Aftersecuring the tie plates and the rails to the ties B by means of thespikes S the bolts 2 intermediate the ends of the splice bars are thensecured in position.

In Fig. 1 is shown one of the forms of my improved splice bar, the upperedges of the bars being formed with shoulders 11 to en gage under thetread of the rail, the outer portion or the splice bar having a concavedportion 12, a vertical wall or shoulder 13, and a convex lower portion14 that is adapted to engage the flanges 7 on the tie plate 6. The innerportions of the splice bars are provided with longitudinal ribs 15 thatengage the flanges of the rail A and the lower portion of the splicebars are formed with an inclined base portion 16 adapted to seat uponthe flanges of the base of the rail and provided with shoulders 17 atthe edges of the base flanges. In this form of splice bar it will beapparent that the vertical walls or shoulders 13 form the bearingsurfaces for the bolts 2 heretofore described.

In Figs. 41 and 5 are shown modified forms of splice bars having thesides of the bars formed inclined as shown at 18 in Fig. 1, 18 in Fig.5. In Fig. 1 the bolts 2 are passed through the splice bars and rail andtriangular washers 19 are provided to give the bolts and nuts a verticalbearing to secure the splice bars in position. In Fig. 5 the splice baris formed with recesses, or countersinks 20 and 21 for the head of thebolt 2 and mating nut respectively. The counter-sinks 21 are formedsufficiently large to permit the insertion of a wrench for actuating thenut.

In Figs. 2 and 3 are shown details of my improved tie plate designatedgenerally at 6 in Fig. 6 heretofore described. In Fig. 3 is shownclearly the construction of the tie plate having a base portion 22formed in- Having thus described the invention, what 7 I claim is:

1.. A tie plate for railroad rail joints consisting of a base member,up-standing flanges on opposite sides of said base member, a bent-backportion formed integral with each of said tip-standing flanges andextending substantially parallel therewith, and the free edges of saidplate being extended toward one another and unsecured on a plane sub- 1stantially parallel to the base portion aforesaid.

2. In combination with the meeting ends of railroad rails, splice barsprovided with means to engage the sides of the rails and having verticalshoulders or their equiva:

lents to receive securing bolts, the side edges of said splice barsbeing tapered from their middles toward their ends, tie plates havingLip-standing flanges adapted to engage said tapered ends of the splicebars and hold the splice bars in engagement with the rails, said tieplates being provided with openings to receive driven means for holdingthe joint to the road-bed, and the splice bars being provided withrecesses to receive the I heads of said driven members and permit themto engage the flanges of the rails.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in-presence of two witnessesMARTIN M. GRAVES. W'itnesses SADIE J. GRAUMAN,

IV. H. SWEENEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

